French President: Killing of police officer, partner a terror attack

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(CNN)

French President: Killing of police officer, partner a terror attack

(CNN)

The killing of a French police officer and his partner Monday night by a man claiming allegiance to ISIS was “unquestionably a terrorist act,” French President Francois Hollande says.The attacker stabbed the officer to death before taking the partner and their 3-year-old son hostage in a house in Magnanville, 45 kilometers (28 miles) northwest of Paris.

The attacker was then killed by a SWAT team after a standoff with police, officials said.

Though the ISIS-linked A’maq agency reported the killing was done by an “Islamic State fighter,” there has been no direct claim of responsibility.

A woman’s body was found in the house, according to Pierre-Henry Brandet, spokesperson for the French Interior Ministry.

The SWAT team was able to rescue the son, the French Interior Ministry added.

French government spokesman Stephane LeFoll said the case has been turned over to the terrorism prosecutor.

The killings come as France is on high alert for terrorist attacks as it hosts the Euro 2016 football championship, Europe’s centerpiece football event.

U.S. and British officials have both warned their citizens about the potential terror risks of attending.